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Axle boots - advice

Joined
9 October 2012
Messages
41
Location
Riverside, California
Hello fellow NSX owners/drivers,


At the last checkup I was told I should replace the axle boots. (Local Acura dealer in the LA area)

First, I drive only in good weather - no rain or wind/dust conditions. Is this repair that is critical or can it wait for a "package" of repairs, say at clutch change for example.

Second, is this s DIY project or does it require special tools and techniques?

If this is a shop job, what is an expected cost? The quote I got was for about $800.

I'd love your feedback!

Thanks in advance


Kyle
 
I don't know what the expected shop coat might be but I recently did this myself. It's not hard but having a lift helps a lot. And it's messy if you do a good job of it. My main concern would be that a shop won't actually disassemble each roller, they will just wipe off (some of) the grease and slap some new on.

You don't need too many special tools but getting the axle nuts off can be tough for some. I had to buy the large socket required and the tool to tighten the band clamps. Parts were about $100 total plus $50 in tools. And you will need an alignment afterwards.

You can wait but if your boot is cracked it will let the grease out (you will see it where it sprays from the boot onto everything in a straight line). Then the CV joints will destroy themselves. Then you need new driveshafts at about $600 (for aftermarket; more for OEM). Doesn't matter if you drive in the rain, it's about keeping the grease in more than keeping water out.
 
If the axle boots are worn warranting there replacement do it soon, the axle boots are relatively cheap. (will require removal & disassembly of axles, but not a difficult job yet very dirty work)

What would happen if they crack and the grease leaks out or dirt get's in and you damage the CV joints?
$1200 OE per axle or a overhaul, (each of the 4 CV assemblies is $500!)

A driveshaft boot service kit including all hardware and grease is just $39 per boot (for example: http://as-motorsport.com/site/en/catalog-c-6/nsx-c-1/transmission-c-23/drive-shaft-boot-kit-p-230)
I can't see the job being more than $300-400 or at least that's what we'd charge.
 
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Are the boots torn ? If one is torn, I would change the boot (and the other one on the same shaft by the same time) as soon as possible. If they just look bad, I would just be attentive to leaks.

Taking out the axle is not to difficult if you have a lift. This is what I do and I give the shaft to my mechanics for the boot change as it is not the kind of dirty job I like.
 
Having aftermarket headers and running hard and tracking drastically shortens the boot life. Marking camber plates will help you get to the alignment rack with minimal wear and handling penalty.
 
I am struggling with the same issue. My passenger side boot is leaking out of the big side of the inner boot. It has already been to the dealer for replacement twice in 6 months. Once for initial repair and once for a warrantee replacement. After 2 weeks and ~100 miles it is leaking for a third time. I got under the car and started comparing the right side to the non leaking left side and found that the clips are oriented differently. On the non leaking side, the clip that holds on the band is over one of the raised sections of the axle. On the leaking side the clip is over the lower section of the axle. It looks like the boot gets a little bunched up around the clip and is causing a small gap this is letting the grease leak out. I checked out the service bulletin on the Driveshaft Boot Band Tool (see second attachment) and it shows the band being clipped over the raised section of the axle. So that appears to support my findings. Could this be the issue? See the picture for a better idea. The picture shows a cross section of the axle where the boot is attached. Black lines are the axle, red lines are the band, and the red box is the clip that holds the band on. The left side of the picture shows the non leaking orientation and the right shows the leaking band. Any advice I can give the dealer? I am sure they are tired of repairing this under warrantee. Sorry to thread jack, but I figured this might be important information for replacing the boots.

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This is something I would get taken care of immediately. Especially since our cars are older age and the axles take quite of bit of wear and tear throughout the years.
 
The clocking of the band clamp should not matter as it sits in a groove that is circumferentially uniform.

I got under the car and took a picture of the actual axle. See how the clip deforming the rubber boot and creating a wave shape. I spun the axle and grease is only leaking at that spot. Any idea what is causing that or how to fix it?

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Looks like it is clamped in the wrong place. There is a recess a bit further inboard which is uniform the band should locate in. Pretty elementary mistake by the shop??

Agreed, clamp is in the wrong position. Should be in the groove(recess) as stated above.
 
Agreed, clamp is in the wrong position. Should be in the groove(recess) as stated above.

Are you talking about a recess in the CV housing or a recess in the rubber boot. I can see that the clamp is in the recess of the rubber boot. How can you tell its not in the recess correctly? Does the inside of the boot have a raised section that fits into the CV housing recess? Or does the band clamp tighten and force the boot into the recess? To me it almost looks like the clamp is catching the boot and causing it bunch up during the tightening process. I am taking it to the highly recommended dealer in Denver for NSX repairs, so I hope they understand the purpose of the recess. They have been really helpful so far, but I am sure they are tired of fixing it.
 
Are you talking about a recess in the CV housing or a recess in the rubber boot. I can see that the clamp is in the recess of the rubber boot. How can you tell its not in the recess correctly?
There is a recess in the CV housing, a circumferential groove. Your boot looks like it has slid too far onto the CV housing. It should not be able to ride up onto the raised sections of the CV housing. You can see the groove in these pictures from Kaz's site:
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Also, it seems like it would be very easy to fix yours simply by using a new clamp in the right place. Pull the boot back until it sits in the groove instead of up on the three raised sections, and then clamp it tightly to hold it in the groove.
 
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